Cllr Graham Hardie: RBS should stay in Helensburgh

As I am a councillor for Helensburgh Central I sit on various committees representing the interests of Argyll and Bute.

One of the more interesting is the Glasgow Airport Consultative Committee.

The committee provides a regular forum for the management of the airport to discuss matters related to its operation and explain future developments.

Every major commercial airport in the UK is required under civil aviation law to have a recognised means of consultation with the communities affected by their operations. The GACC is always keen to hear from interested individuals and organisations in relation to other matters where the consultative committee could play a role.

Graham Hardie The GACC meets four times each year usually in January, April, July and October. Membership includes representation from the local authorities that fall under the airport’s flightpath, Scottish travel trade associations, chambers of commerce and passenger interest groups.

If any of my constituents have questions or issues they want answered about Glasgow Airport then please email me and I will put them to the committee at the end of October.

I was recently informed that the Royal Bank of Scotland in Helensburgh was not to close on September 25 as was previously stated. The bank is working with the FCA and industry to provide further detail on cash services available in my constituency, and to ensure they are supporting customers in locations where their branches are due to close later this year.

As a result, the Royal Bank of Scotland Helensburgh branch will remain open for longer until they conclude this work.

I would still urge the bank to consider the needs of their customers first and come to the decision to keep the Helensburgh branch open permanently.

I have been assisting my fellow ward councillor, Fiona Howard, in trying to help parents in Helensburgh whose children have additional support needs whose support services have been severely cut or altered and who have no alternative now but to accept SDS (self-directed support) in its place.

We are waiting for a date to discuss this further with the head of children and families services at the council, David Gibson, and the parents affected by this situation.

I hold a surgery on the last Saturday of every month (except July and December) at 10am until 11am in Helensburgh Library and any constituent who has issues or problems with the council needing resolved is welcome to attend.